Optical discs have fast become an industry standard for data storage in the fields of computers, video, and music. Optical discs include, but are not limited to, compact discs (CDs), digital video (or versatile) discs (DVDs), and game system discs in a variety of formats. Commercially produced optical discs typically have digital data recorded on one side of the disc and a visual display, or a label printed or formed on the other side of the disc.
Some optical discs have been created that can store data on both sides of the disc. However, in many cases it is desirable to limit the optical disc data to a single side of the disc, leaving the other side of the disc for printed text, patterns, or graphics. The printed labeling on a non-data side of an optical disc can include images such as a decorative design, text identifying the data stored on the disc, or both.
As optical technology has advanced, writeable and re-writable optical discs, as well as equipment for writing data onto the discs, have become reasonably priced and within the grasp of ordinary consumers. Thus, many consumers currently have the ability to burn data onto optical discs with home or office computers that have optical disc drives. For example, consumers may, in some instances, purchase CD or DVD data from a website on the Internet and burn the data onto their own CD or DVD. Many such consumers also then desire the capacity to print or form a label on the other side of the disc as a professionally produced disc would have.